China FDC on "Earthquake Rescue and Relief in Concerted Efforts"

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China


Earthquake Rescue and Relief in Concerted Efforts

Date of Issue : 3 May 2013

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Lushan County on April 20, leaving 196 dead, 21 missing and 13,484 injured.

The stamp features earthquake waves, to represent the disaster, and a heart held in hands, to illustrate relief work. A total of 10 million stamps produced, costing 1.2 yuan (0.19 U.S. dollars) each, with all 12 million yuan worth of sales going to the quake-hit Lushan area.

Korea FDC on "The Restoration of Sungnyemun"

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South Korea

The Restoration of Sungnyemun

Date of Issue : 10 May 2013

Started to be built in the 5th year of King Taejo’s Reign (in 1396) and completed in the 7th year (in 1398), Sungnyemun is one of Korea’s oldest castle gates and at the same time, one of the oldest wooden structures left in Seoul.

On Feb. 10, 2008, due to a fire, most of the second story of the pavilion and a part of its first story were destroyed. Through a 5-year-long restoration work, Sungnyemun was restored to its original condition according to the traditional techniques.

Israel FDC on "Israel - Australia Joint Issue - Australian Light Horse Beersheba 1917"

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Israel

Israel - Australia Joint Issue - Australian Light Horse Beersheba 1917

Date of Issue : 10 May 2013

2 NIS stamp : Israel Australia Australian Light Horse
6.1 NIS stamp : Battle of Beer Sheba 1917

Australia FDC on "Australia - Israel Joint Issue - Battle of Beersheba"

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Australia

Australia - Israel Joint Issue - Battle of Beersheba

Date of Issue : 10 May 2013

60c stamp : Statue of an Australian Light Horseman in the Park of the Australian Soldier at Beersheva (Be'er Sheva) in Israel. The statue is the work of Australian sculptor Peter Corlett.
$2.60 stamp : Contemporary images of Australian Light Horsemen. The battle scene, once considered to be a photograph of the actual Battle of Beersheba, is now accepted to be a re-enactment made the following year.

The Battle of Beersheba took place on 31 October 1917 and was part of a wider British offensive known as the third Battle of Gaza during World War I. The final phase of this day-long battle was the famous mounted charge of the 4th Light Horse Brigade, widely considered to be the last great mounted charge in military history. Thirty-one Australian Light Horsemen were killed in the charge and 36 were wounded. The capture of Beersheba allowed British Empire forces to break the Ottoman line near Gaza and then advance into Palestine, a chain of events which eventually culminated in the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948

Portugal FDC on "500 Years Portugal - China"

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Portugal

500 Anos Portugal - China

500 Years Portugal - China

Date of Issue : 8 May 2013

2013 marks the five hundred years of the direct relationship of cooperation and friendship between Portugal and China.

In May 1513, Jorge Álvares sailed under the Portuguese Malacca captain Rui de Brito Patalim in a junk from Pegu and landed on Lintin (Nei Lingding Island, 内伶仃岛) which was about three miles from the Chinese mainland coast. Upon landing, he raised a Padrão from the king of Portugal

Jorge Álvares later joined the venture of establishing the settlements in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong around 1513 to 1514. This visit was followed by the establishment of a number of Portuguese trading centres in the area, which were eventually consolidated in Macau.

(Information above is from Wiki and also from Portugal CTT website)

Macau Postage Due Cover to Hong Kong

Postage Due Cover
欠資封
Sobrescrito com Selos de Porteado

Macau Hong Kong

Date Sent: 30 April 2013

Macau ATM
~~~ Macau "Year of the Snake" ATM (Issued on 30 April 2013)

Hong Kong Postage Due Label
~~~ Issued on 23 September 2004

On the cover, I just affixed 2 "Year of the Snake" ATM stamps with total face value of 1.5 Patacas out of the normal postage of 2.5 Patacas. On 18 May, I went to the GPO to get the mail and paid the postage due. The postage due should be : ((1 / 2.5) x 2.3) + 4 = HK$4.92, which was rounded to HK$4.9. On the cover, you can see the round-shaped T 1/2.5 postmark from Macau and a Hong Kong "To Pay" chop.

Philippines Aerogramme - Puerto Azul Beach Resort

Aerogramme
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Bilhete Carta-Avião

Philippines

Another aerogramme from the Philippines which shows the Puerto Azul Beach Resort, Cavite. Thank You very much to my friend !

Russia FDC on "The Postman Van – Postal Vehicles"

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Russia

The Postman Van – Postal Vehicles

Date of Issue : 26 April 2013

The Russian Post is one of the oldest in Europe, it started in the 9th-10th centuries. The coachman driving was used to deliver written messages; it was a system of postal yards (yams), connecting cities of Russia with Moscow. In the first half of the 18th century the coachman driving gave place to post troikas among the advantages of which there were high speed, endurance, large capacity and good passability.

The era of famous Russian troikas came to an end when horses were replaced by the railway transport and cars.

Suriname Postcard

Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

Suriname

My first postcard from Suriname. It shows a view seen from the Suriname river. The stamps on the card are beautiful. Thank You very much to my friend !

Taiwan FDC on "Outlaws of the Marsh (Issue of 2013)"

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Taiwan

Outlaws of the Marsh (Issue of 2013)

Date of Issue : 10 May 2013

The stamps feature "Capturing Daming Prefecture by Ruse", "Heavenly Inscriptions on Stele", "Liangshan Outlaws Granted Imperial Amnesty" and "Successful Expedition against Liao Empire".

Brunei Darussalam Aerogramme

Aerogramme
航空郵簡
Bilhete Carta-Avião

Brunei Darussalam

Another aerogramme from Brunei. Thank You very much to my friend!

Estonia FDC on "First Estonian Satellite"

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Estonia

First Estonian Satellite

Date of Issue : 2 May 2013

ESTCube-1, a cubesat measuring 10 x 10 x 10 cm and weighing little over 1 kg is the first Estonian satellite and it is built in Estonia by students from Tartu University (coordinator), Estonian Aviation Academy, Tallinn University of Technology and University of Life Sciences. The satellite's payload has been developed in conjunction with Finnish Meteorological Institute and German Space Center (DLR). The main mission of the satellite is to test the electric solar wind sail, a novel space propulsion technology that could revolutionize transportation within the solar system.

Slovakia FDC on "Historic Mills - Windmill in Holic"

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Slovakia

Historic Mills - Windmill in Holic

Date of Issue : 26 April 2013

There were more than 5 thousand mills using water energy in the 19th century in Slovakia and more than 20 windmills. One of such mills preserved until today is a Dutch-type windmill in Holíč. It is located in the south-eastern part of the city, on the forest’s edge above the Theresian granary. The mill was built in the 1880s and was in use until 1926. The builder of the mill's technology was a joinery master František Sláma from Jevíčko.

Sri Lanka Postcard - Sigiriya Gardens

Postcard
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Bilhete Postal

Sri Lanka

A Sri Lankan postcard which shows the aerial view of the Sigiriya gardens. Thank You very much to my friend !

Russia FDC on "Historical Centre of Saint Petersburg"

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Russia

Historical Centre of Saint Petersburg

Date of Issue : 26 April 2013

The postage stamps depict the building of the Winter Palace, the Admiralty and the St. Isaac Cathedral, the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island.

The Admiralty is the first building on the left bank of the Neva River in Saint Petersburg, which has been conceived by Peter I only like a shipyard. From the 1740s the construction of grandiose, festive buildings in appearance in baroque style has been begun. The Winter Palace has been served the main residence of the Russian tsars for many years. At the beginning of the XIX century the city has been decorated with the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island with the Stock Exchange building and the Rostral Columns as well as the St. Isaac Cathedral that has been built during 40 years.

China FDC on "The 7th Congress of All-China Philatelic Federation"

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China


The 7th Congress of All-China Philatelic Federation

Date of Issue : 25 April 2013

The 7th Congress of All-China Philatelic Federation was held in Beijing on 25 April 2013. The main picture shows cultural relics excavated from Liye Ancient Town in Longshan County of western Hunan Province, including bamboo slips from the Qin Dynasty (221BC - 206BC), daubs and stamp labels. A number of archives of Qin Dynasty's Qianling County were found at Liye Ruins. The words "Qianling yi you xing Dongting" (the express mail from Qianling County, today's Liye, to Dongting Prefecture) on the Qin slips are regarded as China's earliest letter; the daub by "Youyang Cheng Seal" is used as a mark to seal the letter; and the stamp label with notes on the package is considered the earliest one in China.

France FDC on "Bats – Greater Horseshoe Bat"

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France

Bats – Greater Horseshoe Bat

Date of Issue : 19 April 2013

Korea FDC on "The 50th Law Day"

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South Korea

The 50th Law Day

Date of Issue : 25 April 2013

Macau ATM FDC on "Lunar Year of the Snake"

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Macau

Lunar Year of the Snake ATM

Ano Lunar da Cobra ATM

Date of Issue : 30 April 2013

Indonesia FDC on "60 Years of Indonesia-Mexico Diplomatic Relations"

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Indonesia


60 Years of Indonesia-Mexico Diplomatic Relations

Date of Issue : 6 April 2013

It has been 60 years since the signing of the Joint Declaration on the establishment of Indonesia-Mexico diplomatic relations in Washington DC on 6 April 1953.

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of Indonesia-Mexico diplomatic relations, the post offices of the both countries issued joint stamps illustrating the animals being symbols of both countries – Mexican Jaguar (Mexico) and Clouded Leopard (Indonesia).

Brunei Darussalam Aerogramme

Aerogramme
航空郵簡
Bilhete Carta-Avião

Brunei Darussalam

Another very nice aerogramme from Brunei. Thank You very much to my friend!

Mexico Postcard - Santo Domingo Church

Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

Mexico

A Mexican postcard showing the view of Santo Domingo Church in Oaxaca. Thank You very much to my friend !

Estonia FDC on "50th Anniversary of the Icebreaker Tarmo"

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Estonia

50th Anniversary of the Icebreaker Tarmo

Date of Issue : 25 April 2013

The icebreaker Tarmo was built at the Wärtsilä shipyard in Helsinki in 1963. The Republic of Estonia bought the ship in 1993 and she has now successfully operated under the Estonian flag for 20 years, ensuring safe entry for ships to ports and to sea lanes. The full displacement of the Tarmo is 1,585 tons, its length 84 and its beam 22 metres; its maximum speed is 14 knots. As the Tarmo will be 50 years old this year, AS Tallinn Sadam decided in 2012 to buy from the Finnish Arctia shipyard the 1998-built MSV Botnica, which has already arrived in Estonia and from now on two icebreakers, the Tarmo and the Botnica, will ensure maritime traffic in the Gulf of Finland.

Brunei Darussalam Aerogramme

Aerogramme
航空郵簡
Bilhete Carta-Avião

Brunei Darussalam

A nice aerogramme from Brunei. Thank You very much to my friend!